What to do if Airbnb cancels your accommodation at the last minute ?

It’s been a long year and you are really looking forward to that holiday. In March you booked and paid for your flight. Hotels cost a fortune, so you found a stunning accommodation on Airbnb that is just perfect. You check the availability and the price and instantly book it before it is snapped up by someone else.

Now, all that you need to do is count down the months until year-end-break….

But there is a problem.

Two weeks before your magical holiday is about to begin you are notified that the Airbnb host has decided that he would rather use the accommodation himself and promptly cancels the booking. You now have to scramble to find alternative accommodation for a family of six which is scarce and at the last minute any accommodation you do find cost a fortune.

This has just happened to a family from Johannesburg, South Africa who received an SMS saying the accommodation in Plettenberg Bay has been canceled leaving them and their family who will fly to South Africa from overseas stranded.

Dena confirmed that when she received the SMS, she called the host to get more information “the host was incredibly rude, said he needed the house and hung up the call. There was no apology from the host nor was there any offer to help find alternative accommodations.” Dena confirmed that Airbnb refunded her money but she felt frustrated as there was no way to contact Airbnb to report the host’s behavior. Dena also tried to call Airbnb but could not find a telephone number on the site. Thankfully she found another accommodation to accommodate their family of 6 over the busiest time of year.

This is not an isolated incident as others report a similar incident such as this tweet:

Kobus did confirm that he did find another accommodation that same day and the process was disappointing but painless. Kobus also confirmed that the host was “host wasn’t very helpful. I found a new accommodation on the app pretty easily they refunded me the difference between the rates (the new one is slightly cheaper) on the same day. Super impressive Airbnb also responded to my tweet to ask if they can help almost immediately”

I reached out to Airbnb to understand how they protect their guest from such negative experiences.

How Airbnb protects its users

“Over 60 million guests have stayed on Airbnb, and on our peak night this summer nearly 1 million people were staying with Airbnb hosts worldwide. Cancellations are incredibly rare but we know there can be circumstances where a host needs to cancel a guest’s reservation” Airbnb replied in a statement to my list of questions.

Of course, Airbnb is only the facilitators as each property is run and managed by the “host” however, due to the negative impact a cancellation has on a guest’s trip, Airbnb has implemented a number of measures around cancellations:

If a host cancels any reservation within seven days of check-in, they will be charged a $100 fee. And if they cancel more than one reservation within a six-month period, they will be charged $50 per cancellation.

If a reservation is canceled, an automatic review is added to the host’s listing page to say that they have canceled one of their bookings. The host has the ability to respond and explain for future bookers the reasons for the cancellation

Hosts that cancel a reservation will not be eligible for super host status and the benefits that bring for one year after their most recent cancellation

The host’s listing calendar will be blocked for the dates the canceled reservation was due to take place and they won’t be able to accept another booking for the same dates

The fact that the calendar is blocked for the canceled reservation date is a great way to ensure that host do not cancel a guest’s accommodation as they think they are able to sell those days at a higher price to someone else.

What about the money?

When it comes to the money, Airbnb protects is users by holding the money and it does not pay it out to the host until 24 hours after the guest has checked in. Therefore, if the host cancels or the listing is not what a guest expects, the money can always be refunded directly from Airbnb and no fights need to be had with the host.

If a guest does find that their host has canceled their reservation, they have two options:

Transfer their payment to a new reservation and if the new reservation is less than they originally paid, Airbnb will refund the difference.

Receive a full refund of their payment.

“Guests can contact our customer services team at any point if they have concerns about a reservation or need help finding somewhere new to stay in the rare event of a cancellation. The contact details can be found on their booking itinerary and our customer service team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a variety of languages.”

5 tips for booking through Airbnb

1. Read the reviews from travelers that have already stayed at the listing. Airbnb’s review system provides in-depth information about listings, graded across six criteria: accuracy, cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, and value. And keep in mind that unlike some other sites, Airbnb’s reviews are all authentic: travelers can only leave a review of a place after they’ve actually stayed there. You can also see in the reviews if the host has previously canceled a booking.

2. Look for the “Airbnb logo” watermark in the top right corner of the listing photographs or the phrase ‘Verified Photo’ underneath the images. This means that a professional photographer has been to the listing and taken the listing images so you can be reassured that the listing is as described.

3. Only book and pay through Airbnb. Airbnb gives peace of mind by handling all transactions and communication through its secure platform. When you pay through Airbnb your money is protected and the payment is not released to the host until 24 hours after check in so you have recourse if the accommodation isn’t as advertised.

4. Get to know your host (and their home). The Airbnb experience is unique and authentic because you’re booking with a local person. That means every home will be different. Take advantage of the many tools Airbnb offers to get to know your host (and their listing) before you book. Read their description thoroughly, including house rules and amenities. Check their cancellation policy and see if there is a security deposit. And go to their Host profile page to read more about them, including where they went to school, where they work, and what languages they speak.

5. Communicate with your host using the Airbnb messaging service before and after you book. That way you can ask any questions about the property and let the host know any special requests you might have. You can exchange messages either through the website or use the iOS or Android app.

Extreme Bonus Tip: Book a hotel at the same time that you book your Airbnb accommodation but choose a hotel that offers 100% money-back cancellation fee. Most will do that if you cancel within a few days before checking in. In the event that your Airbnb host decides to cancel, you have a backup plan at a rate you are happy to pay.

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38 comments

Just happened to me as well. Absolute rubbish. this dude cancelled mine and everyone else’s bookings 2 days before my flight. Because the booking was over super-peak period and for 8 nights, it’s been hell trying to find a decently priced accommodation at such short notice. Here is his sob story: “We are very sorry that we have to cancel your reservation as we now have legal problem with the house rent. We were inspected by police for illegal house rent to tourists. Honestly, we have been caught 2 times before for illegal rent to tourists and this morning we were caught for 3rd time.
So, the house is being closed by police now and we cannot accommodate you anymore.
If we rent house, we will be jailed…. hope you may understand our situation…..
We don’t know how to say sorry about the cancellation and hope you can quickly find another place for your stay in seoul….. so so sorry……
Regards,
Kate and Jason”

I’m half decided to expose his full details online – but I need to cool down first!
AirBnB had better find some better way for poor users to flag rotten apples and receive feedback…. but this will be my last time on such a rubbish service.

My Airbnb host canceled my five bedroom house in Washington DC two weeks before my trip to my daughter’s wedding. They have had my $2400 for nine months and this host has apparently done it before. Now, the only options are $4200 and Airbnb offers a mere $200 cancellation fee. This illegal practice needs to be stopped.

Similar situation has just happened to me. A host in Dupont Circle, Washington DC. confirmed my booking dates for the January 2017 Presidential inaugural back in June of 2016. Saturday the 22nd of October I get a change reservation request from the Host stating that I can keep the reservation by paying an additional $9,000 for the four night stay. When I declined the change the host immediately cancelled the reservation. Airbnb says while this is “discouraged” it is not against their company agreements with hosts and I am basically on my own. I should have probably just accepted the change then disputed the charge on my Credit Card as extortion after the stay was over.

Today our host told us hat the house was not available 1 hour before check in… they did not cancel the reservaion and we did not get refunded, even though they said they will. If we dont get our refund we will make their name and address very public.

Our Airbnb in Oslo was cancelled 11 days before our arrival. We were already in Europe. We found another Airbnb unit, it was unsavory, but bearable. It very much disrupted our stay in Oslo.

I think that the host cancellation charge should be the same as the guest cancellation charge, i.e. 50% -100% of the total rental. That cancellation fee should go to the guest along with a full refund of the original rental. As it is, the guest takes the full risk of a rental.

Same for me. I booked for a Cape Town house at new year, back in April. Airbnb have had my money for 7 months. I contact the host this week to arrange key pickup and she says ‘sorry, cancelled for renovations’. If I hadn’t contacted her until three days before arrival, I wonder if she wouldn’t have even let me know. Bloody rude. Won’t use airbnb again – they simply don’t give a damn. Treat is as ‘aren’t you lucky you get a refund’. No commitment to reliability, and I can’t even leave the selfish woman feedback about her lack of respect…

I came across with similar situation when 2 weeks before my family ski holiday to Seoul. I settled my booking and payment months ago with this apartment owner in Myeongdong, Seoul and the nightmare happened when I received the “cancellation” notice…just two weeks before my family trip. It seems like no obligation by the host for cancellation and they can simply cancel the booking for convenience, BUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE GUEST!!! I had to rush looking for other alternative, which are more expensive, less convenient and most importantly EXTREMELY TIME CONSUMING. Airbnb MUST increase the host penalty to stop their irresponsible cancellation as it is super seriously impact our holiday plan.

I just had a “superhost” cancel on us a little over a week before our family Christmas vacation. We had to scramble to find a new place which turned out to be much more expensive. I was not allowed to review the host that cancelled and so far airbnb has NOT updated his profile to show that he cancelled. I received a small amount of compensation from airbnb (<$50) for the cancellation, but it did not even come close to compensating us for the extra out of pocket. This guy is still listed as a "super host". Not impressed with airbnb. Certainly would not use them for business since their reviews don't accurately reflect reality.

I had a similar situation in which a host cancelled last minute. I contacted the Better Business Bureau after getting nowhere with Airbnb. At first Airbnb ignored my BBB complaint, but BBB was persistent and Airbnb finally refunded the full $130.00 difference between the cancelled booking and the place I was incredibly lucky to find at the last second. This was graduation weekend in a fully booked college town. It is entirely too easy for a host to cancel. My daughter arranged a one night getaway through the similar VRBO just last month and the host cancelled on her when she was within 20 minutes of arrival. This is completely unacceptable, and, frankly, neither of these websites goes to bat for the client. I’ve learned my lesson. From now on I’ll stay at hotels.

Always good to have a ‘Plan-B’ Have used Airbnb on three separate occasions and the owner/host has cancelled on two of them less than a month before. I don’t spend my time trying to find alternative accommodation. I tend to book a cheap hotel close to where I have my original Airbnb accommodation. If this seems excessive then it may be,but this company listed a 13% of cancellations in 2016 from owners….a little to high for my blood. There should be penalties for these owners cancelling at the last minute. Have Airbnb find a alternative accommodation and bill the original host the cancel fee. This would put a stop to there flaky and meaningless refunds.

Happened to me just 3 days before I was to arrive in Washington dc. Leaves me really high and dry. I had booked several months in advance of the inaugeration and it is impossible to find anything reasonaby priced. The Airbnnb penalty is a joke considering the chaos such behavour precipitates. I will not be using Airbnb again untill they come up with a more apropriate penalty

Booked/paid in full 11/9 for a 2 week Mid-March stay in Gold Canyon, Arizona. Cancellation E-mail arrived Jan 22, with no explanation. With golf and spring training travel at ultra peak we are faced with over 50℅ increase for similar accomodations, not to mention airline change fees, as new place availability is out of sync with cancelled unit.

We have used Home-Away to rent homes throughout the U.S. and South America for years. First time with Airbnb ended this way…No More.

I personally recommend reserving at a real hotel (Hilton, Marriott) as backup, just in case this sort of thing happens. I can always cancel that reservation a day in advance – just in case!!! I also speak with my host before booking to get a sense of who I am dealing with. I am not a fan of booking automatically. They will understand my needs and let me know if they can guarantee that time is locked in if I pay.

I just had a host cancel the Airbnb reservation WHILE I WAS STAYING IN IT. I checked in around 2pm and at 9:30pm, received an e-mail that the host was canceling it. Airbnb’s customer service was of no help, and the host even walked in on me while I was in the bathroom.

Airbnb sent me a list of other places I could book, but they were all very far away, and when I asked Airbnb to help me find closer ones, they said it was too late at night, and said I should find a hotel (but refused to tell me that they would cover the cost, as I am in London and hotels are much more expensive). I will never use Airbnb again — particularly after one customer service agent told me that I needed to leave the apartment, even if it meant “sleeping on the street.”

There is no penalty if the listing is instant booking. I had a host who cancelled my reservation because she had also listed the same property on booking.com and could get guest through booking.com. She could easily get away with it!

can you sue airbnb and the host for “damages” (ie – additional cost to find something similar in quality for the same nights? My host just canceled days prior to our stay. It will cost me double now to find something and I will definitely be taking airbnb and the host to small claims court. I’ll report back.

Fie a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. That’s what I did when a host cancelled on me last minute and I was forced to pay $130 more for a different place — which I was lucky to find at all for graduation weekend in a college town. It took some back and forth, but Airbnb finally coughed up the full amount. If hosts were liable for finding a suitable substitute accommodation and paying the difference, the cancellation rate would plummet. As it is, the guests are left unfairly holding the bag through no fault of their own.

I’ve successfully used Airbnb for several trips over the last 5 or 6 years. I only had one host cancel, while I was traveling in New Zealand. I was staying with an AirBnb host in Wellington, when I got a message that my airbnb in Queenstown had canceled. This was about 10 days before my reservation. Queenstown is a very popular vacation destination, and i was unable to find any listing in my price range other than a few quite a distance from town. My Wellington host called a contact she had with AIrbnb New Zealand, and they were quite helpful. He called back within an hour to say he found a host with a room avaialbe and he would charge me the same rate as the one that canceled. (his normal rate was about 25% higher).
I don’t know if you can prevent a host from canceling, but at least when they do, airbnb should do their best to fix the situation. (after all, there can be legitimate reasons for canceling, friends had a host cancel 3 days before arrival due to a power outage after a storm that was going to take several days to fix)

Just happened to me too. Shelley in Fort Lauderdale manages several properties I think, and sent a request for an additional $100/day. Then cancelled booking. If AirBnB wants to be picking up business travellers, it needs to be a reliable service.

I already had good experience with airbnb, nice hosts and good places.
But especially when i booked an accommodation on special and busy weekends i had twice some troubles.
For this August i booked a flat in Reading (UK) for the Reading Festival (over 90’000 visitors) on year ahead. Two months prior to the festival, the host told my that the flat isn’t available because of “construction work” on the busies weekend in the town? Really? i didn’t believe…He offered me a smaller flat for nearly the same price…I declined and he forced me to cancel the reservation, and i did it. Sure i get all my money back, but it was hard to find something new. I think he could release the flat to others for much more money…

And just now I had a host who haven’t wrote me back for more than 7 days and also airbnb wasn’t able to contact him. So they cancelled my booking one week before my arrival. Sure I’ll get the full amount back. But its impossible to find a similar accommodation, airbnb mailed me a list with other flats, but all out of the city… again, its a busy weekend, a big beerfest in Germany. I am really thinking about to take a hotel and claim the amount form airbnb or the host (if I can contact him).

I will NEVER EVER use airb&b again! Planned a large family weekend, where everyone had to arrange their schedules to meet during this weekend. I paid in full over a month and a half in advance. 4 days before, I get an email that the reservation is cancelled, with NO explanation why. Plus, they don’t even attempt to help me find another place equal in price or accommodation. It took me over a week to research the location that we picked. TERRIBLE, I will tell everyone and anyone that will listen, I will go on every comment site and the B.B.B. Total inconsideration and unprofessionalism! Unheard of in 2017, shady site/app.
***********DO NOT USE AIRBNB***********

I just had a horrible experience with airbnb today. I booked an apt in Manhattan 4 months ago. I usually receive an email from the host a few days prior to my trip.since I received nothing I started emailing on Monday. My trip is tomorrow!. As of today, no responses from my emails, phone calls. Then I spent my entire day at work today on the phone with various airbnb reps who are in call centers in a foreign location. It was like talking to robots who just kept repeating the same things to me. The absolute worst and most frustrating experience. Not one of them did anything to help me and they all told me something different They do more to protect the host even when he defaulted on me and left me stranded with a group of 6. They kept telling me that they have to give the host several hours to reply….it was already less than 15 hrs from when I was going to depart for the place where I clearly no longer had accommodations. I kept telling them my situation of having a runner in the NYC marathonin our party and the city was completely booked. They don’t care!! One rep assured me they would provide me with alternate accommodations either thru airbnb or hotel if necessary. NOT TRUE!! They just send you a list of available properties and if you want a list of hotels the area they will send that. They were all useless to me and caused so much stress and anxiety. I have been up all night looking for hotel rooms for 6 people for the same day now. Costing get us $800 more for last minute hotel ….I am seething. I will call the bbb… DON’T EVER TAKE THE RISK NO MATTER HOW MANY GOOD EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD. There is no protection for consumers.

Just had a host cancel on a home in Seville, Spain 3 days prior to our stay. Our group included an elderly couple and we had to scramble to find a suitable place. As others have noted, our host’s ‘Superhost’ status has not been revoked and there is no way for us to leave a public review. We found a place for the same $$ but it was less than comfortable and not as conveniently located as we really needed. Plus the anxiety involved in trying to find a last minute booking in a busy city is not what we planned for our family vacation. There should be some compensation to the guests for this kind of experience.